A Beloved Sensation in the Capital After My Family Was Wiped Out

A studious man who goes wild with daydreams every day vs. a seemingly flirtatious but actually earnest, shameless princess who won't take no for an answer

A future empress's rise to power, or a guide to a chancellor's descent into madness. A mix of sweet and angsty.

Serious version:

During the Jiahe era, the deposed crown prince is killed after his failed coup.

The emperor flies into a rage, leaving corpses for thousands of miles, and the deposed crown prince's entire faction is wiped out.

Dai Yushu, daughter of the former Grand Tutor, narrowly escapes death and returns to the capital four years later.

Disguised as a man, she becomes an inconspicuous member of the vast scholarly world.

Should she conceal her talents or show them off? Dai Yushu chooses the latter.

Her policy essay strikes the emperor right in the heart.

But before the emperor can personally name her top scholar,

A shocking case rocks the capital. Rebels from the deposed crown prince's faction emerge and attempt to assassinate the emperor.

But the baffling part is that the emperor takes out his anger on the chancellor's faction as well.

Those who supported the crown prince were purged back then, and now those who opposed him are being purged too.

Dai Yushu thinks faster than anyone. She realizes that even staying neutral won't keep her safe.

To save someone, she takes the initiative and seeks out Xiao Sujue.

Xiao Sujue is neither the eldest nor the legitimate heir, and she has no powerful maternal relatives.

Dai Yushu kneels on the ground and bows deeply, refusing to rise. She is willing to serve the princess.

Xiao Sujue suddenly laughs. This person is refreshingly frank and interesting, and might make a good ally.

Comedic version:

Dai Yushu was an utterly ordinary scholar.

But in a coup years ago, the damn emperor killed her whole family, so every day she plots how to return to the capital and get her revenge.

Before she can put her plans into action, she discovers she's been assigned to tutor Xiao Sujue.

The most notorious troublemaker princess in all of Great Zhao, famous for bullying men and women alike.

A debt owed by the father can be collected from the daughter too, right?

Dai Yushu secretly thinks she'll swing her brick and smash the other woman until blood pours from every orifice.

But, to her surprise, the woman specifically says she doesn't want her.

Dai Yushu takes ten thousand points of damage.

You say I, a top scholar with a head full of knowledge, an excellent education, and a handsome face, who studied for years and beat every other candidate to earn the top honors in all three imperial examinations, am simply not good enough for you?

???

She could take an enemy's scorn, but she couldn't accept being ignored by one.

Later, Dai Yushu changes her strategy. She'll help this unruly little devil secure the throne and show the old emperor what it means to have a spoiled daughter.

Slowly, she puts on what she thinks is a sinister smile.

*

Xiao Sujue has never cared for her studies. She loves hanging out with her worthless friends, walking their birds and fighting crickets.

Her useless old dad can't stand the sight of her and is often beside himself with rage.

But she still lives off him with a clear conscience.

What a joke. I'm not the one who can't stand you.

Her peaceful life lasts until the imperial examination results come out in spring. Her father actually plans to assign this year's top scholar as her tutor.

Xiao Sujue flees the princess's residence overnight in a panic, kicking up a fuss and refusing to let her new teacher come over.

The matter is put on hold until one day she sees this poor top scholar being pestered by her third and fourth brothers.

No wonder she's known in our dynasty for speaking with effortless eloquence, possessing great knowledge, and being able to crush those young gentlemen with nothing but a belly full of stale ink and literary pretensions.

The more Xiao Sujue looks at her, the more she sees a pitiful, helpless quality about her.

She has a fair, delicate face and looks as frail as a willow in the wind.

Xiao Sujue remembers that she recently took on two little ones, her fifth and sixth, and decides adding a seventh won't hurt.

So she marches over, snatches the woman, and runs.

She never expected the woman to be so ungrateful, chattering nonstop the whole way, even after Xiao Sujue ascends the throne.

Xiao Sujue grows tired of listening and becomes ever more dedicated to governing. As she watches her realm grow more secure by the day, she feels like something is missing.

Then inspiration strikes: She needs a reward!

I'm the emperor. Shouldn't I give myself a proper reward?

Her gaze immediately falls on the other woman. Xiao Sujue shamelessly starts tugging at her clothes, then gives her a playful little slap.

She watches Dai Yushu shed two tears of humiliation and smiles with satisfaction.

Look how happy you are.

After all this, you still can't tell who's in charge?

My dad's been dead for ages, dead!

Tip: I want to try a comedic style, but the writing will probably still lean toward Xuanyue.

One-on-one, happy ending

Theme: I lament that my journey is long and the day is drawing to a close